Giorgio’s

Outside, red and blue neon achieve a smooth blend on the river’s black canvas like fast-setting acrylics. Down the water, boats bark dance music from stem to stern while human activity rustles on the banks. Ship to shore, as it were. Inside, at Giorgio’s, the setting can’t be any different. Walls of glass separate the lively creature of the night from smooth bossa nova, amber candlelight, and the slow burning romance that precedes a taste of the Italian home with the privacy of a table for two.

Giorgio’s recently revamped à la carte menu features cuts of homemade Italian classics, many of which represent the North—ossobuco, risotto, well-prepared meat. The choices counter a previously introduced buffet, adding a more formal touch to its riverside dinners. They have helped Giorgio’s evolve into a kind of destination dining experience, a place to go to escape the Sukhumvit bubble.

Insalata di spinaci, a simple salad of baby spinach with poached figs, walnuts, and blue cheese-Gorgonzola dressing, outperforms its potentially perfunctory role as a palate warmer (B350). The sweet-savoury punch of figs poached with cinnamon meets cubes of sharp cheese and the very welcome crunch of walnuts. Once the plate is clean, the logical next step leads to zuppe. With limited options, the porcini cream soup is a wise choice (B280). Though it could use some salt to build depth, the earthiness of the mushrooms still shines, and the bridge to entrées is complete.

Black cod, served amid criss-crossed asparagus atop a brilliant green sauce and foam-covered clams (B620), gets remarkable treatment here. Despite the striking presentation, it remains a simple—and accessible—selection. The cod is butter-like in texture and just barely briny, its delicate flavour the model match of fresh clams. Reigning supreme, though, is the carne. A rosemary-speckled beef fillet, cooked medium-rare and paired with wilted spinach and pan-fried potato gnocchi (B850), is so tender that a knife neatly slides into it, allowing for easy and equal division between partners, who will want to savour and share the immaculate cut of meat before it’s all gobbled up.

Giorgio’s doesn’t lay it on thick. It’s quiet, spacious, and predominantly an inside affair, although al fresco dining is available, a nice change of pace in the winter months. Regardless, the energy level stays firmly on low and relaxed. This is a good thing. Food claims attention, not action or accessories. In providing a taste of home, Giorgio’s has successfully embraced the comfort of home, too.